Catch Me
by Secret Girlfriend
Summary: A perfect  night followed by disaster. My favorite couple, Puckleberry! Enjoy!


**I got something up! Yay! Sorry to my followers on Just a Drummer! I'm working on the next chapter! I really am! And can i just add that Tuesday episode made the happiest person like, ever! I was so happy Kurt got to sing that Blaine finally realized he and Kurt BELONG together! Gah! My family thought i was going crazy! Anyway, enjoy!**

The fire crackled in the darkness as the sun made it's slow decent below the horizon. The snow had completely melted about two weeks ago and the glee club was celebrating their win at Regional's with a bonfire in the park. They had pulled out Puck's guitar once they were alone and started singing old favorites like Firework and Somebody to Love, both versions.

Everyone was calming down and they were sort of breaking off into smaller groups. Some couples had completely vanished, like Santana and Sam. Puck and Rachel found themselves sitting together under a tree in sight of the rest of the group but out of earshot.

Rachel wasn't really paying any attention to what they were actually talking about. She was mainly focused on looking into his hazel green eyes. They had completely captured all of her attention. They were so deep and mysterious. She couldn't look away.

"So what do you think?"

Rachel quickly shook herself. "Sorry. About what?"

"About me trying to get into a college in New York. It would be tough but I think with enough volunteer work and shit like that I could probably find a college that would accept me."

"Noah, I think that would be wonderful. It'd be nice to have a friend from home out there."

Puck's face fell a little when she said friend. "Yeah that would be cool."

"Oh come on. I wouldn't be that bad to hang around would I?" She shoved him playfully but he caught her arm.

"You really shouldn't have done that." He smirked and then all of a sudden had Rachel pinned under him. Tickling her sides she almost couldn't breathe, but once he paused long enough for her to squirm out from under him and roll over so she was on top.

"Just the way I like it," Rachel whispered in Puck's ear. She smirked for a moment but then she realized with a seconds notice what was about to happen. Puck leaned up to kiss her at the same time she bent down capturing her lips in a sweet and slow kiss. It felt as if it would last forever. Slowly, ever so slowly, just as she was wanting more, Puck pulled away. She was almost speechless. "Wow."

"I get that a lot." Rachel blushed and buried her head in his chest. He pulled her up into a sitting position a sitting position and held her in his arms. She didn't want him to let go. Ever.

When the moon was shining bright over the remaining gleeks there, Santana and Sam came climbing up the hill, both of whose hair was slightly messed up. "Ready to go Rachel?" Santana cried out.

"Umm…" _No._ She looked up at Puck.

"Go. I'll see you Monday." He kissed her quickly and let her stand up.

"Yeah, see you Monday." Rachel walked with Santana to her car.

"So, what's all that about?"

"I'll tell you when I figure it out."

Santana almost pressed her for more details but knew Rachel was confused and let it go. They'd talk in the morning.

Rachel was sleeping at Santana's that night and would go home tomorrow on Sunday. Santana passed out almost immediately they got to her place. Whatever she had done with Sam had worn her out.

Rachel couldn't fall asleep at all though. Even though tonight had been a fantasy for her, it was still bogging her mind. It had all been completely unexpected. His thing with Lauren and her small left over feelings for Finn.

She kept thinking about it for hours. Even if Puck was into her right now, it was only right now. He could move on from her by Monday morning.

She pushed those thoughts from her head though. They could bug her tomorrow if they wanted to, but she would fall asleep smiling, thinking about tonight.

The next morning when Rachel woke up her mind was already overly consumed. Her dream last night had turned from good to bad very quickly. It has started with just her and Puck, her perfect world. But then he started chasing her around the school, like a "run-for-your-life chase." Puck had slowly morphed into Finn. And when Finn finally had Rachel cornered, she had turned to find herself being pursued by a clown.

She dint understand the entire clown thing but everything else was easy to figure out. Her heart still hadn't settled after the entire Finn fiasco.

Santana noticed her unease right away that morning but let her drink some coffee first before beginning her attack. "So, figured out last night yet?"

Rachel shook her head, her heart still pounding from her dream.

"Well, you're going to tell me what's running through your head because you will eventually explode if you don't tell somebody."

Rachel sighed in resignation, knowing she was right. "I'm very confused right now."

"About Puck?" Santana was confused now too. What she had seen last night hinted that Rachel knew exactly how she felt. Plus the past few weeks Santana had seen her lingering gaze on Puck at glee and where ever else they'd been together.

"Not just him." Rachel grimaced at some thought and it took Santana moment before she realized what she was saying. She groaned. "No…"

"Yes…" Rachel sighed. "Do you honestly think I want to feel anything for him anymore? I hate it! But he's still lodged in there."

She buried her head in her hands while Santana thought for a moment. She didn't want to see her friend like this. It was scary and a little depressing. But she also knew which boy was a better for the child in front of her and she would make her figure it out.

"Okay, we're going to play a little game and I don't want you to over complicate this in your pretty little head. Just say the first name that comes to mind."

Rachel thought it through for a moment. If it worked… "Fine. Go."

"Kind."

Rachel remembered Puck during their week together during sophomore year. "Noah."

"History."

Rachel remembered years ago when they were younger and how much fun they had together at the temple and also having to watch Puck's father leave. "Noah."

"Future."

Rachel thought about last night and Puck suggesting he come out to New York for college. "Noah."

"Love."

Rachel thought about the questions she'd just answered. "Noah."

Santana smirked. "Less confused?"

Rachel could only smile. "Slightly."

"Only slightly? Come on! You know what you want, now go get it!"

"It's not that simple. I don't know if I can completely trust Noah. Things can go from good to ugly with him just as fast as they did with Finn."

"But-" Santana interjected, "if he loves you it won't get ugly."

Rachel sighed, knowing that was true.

* * *

Monday came quickly and Rachel knew what she was going to say to Puck when she saw him standing by her locker. She had made her decision last night at home, and it wasn't going to be easy.

"Hey." He smiled leaning in to kiss her, but she stepped back. He frowned. "What's wrong?"

Rachel was fighting back tears, "Before I start, I just want you to know that this is really hard for me to say. I don't think we should be together." He tried to speak but she stopped him. "Please, don't make this any harder. It's just… look what's happened. You didn't care when we broke up on the bleachers. You moved on from Quinn pretty fast after that baby left her stomach and never looked back. This thing with Lauren is just weird and slowly coming to and end. I'm just afraid that if I fall for you any harder, you won't be there to catch me and I'm not living through the pain of hitting the ground again."

Puck couldn't speak. All he'd been able to think about yesterday was that night with Rachel. It had been perfect to him. He could tell in Rachel's voice that it had been perfect for her too.

"I'm so sorry Noah. I want to be with you, I just can't find the courage to do it."

She was about to walk away but Puck finally found his voice. "And I want you to know that I'm not going to give up on you."

Rachel gave him a weak smile. "I really hope you do."

He let her walk away and watched her go. He needed to do something, and fast.

* * *

Rachel was exhausted that night. After her conversation with Puck it was a hard day. She's had to hold back tears until she got home and then they just flowed freely as she worked on her homework. The house was empty as her fathers had a work party so the feeling of loneliness echoed in the deafening silence.

Around eight o'clock though, something broke the broke the silence. Guitar strumming was floating up through her open window along with a soft, but passionate voice. Looking out the window, Rachel saw Puck below. She groaned outwardly but was smiling on the inside. Why did he have to make this so hard?

_So she said, "What's the problem baby?"  
What's the problem I don't know  
Well maybe I'm in love, think about it every time  
I think about it, can't stop thinking 'bout it__ice cream__  
Never ever end of all this love  
Well I didn't mean to do it  
But there's no escaping your love_

How much longer will it take to cure this  
Just to cure it 'cause I can't ignore it if it's love  
Makes me wanna turn around and face me  
But I don't know nothing about love

Come on, come on  
Turn a little faster  
Come on, come on  
The world will follow after  
Come on, come on  
Because everybody's after love

So I said, "I'm a snowball running"  
Running down into the spring  
That's coming all this love melting under  
Blue skies belting out sunlight, shimmering love

Well baby I surrender to the strawberry

_These lines of lightning  
Mean we're never alone  
Never alone, no, no_

Come on, come on  
Move a little closer  
Come on, come on  
I want to hear you whisper  
Come on, come on  
Settle down inside my love

Come on, come on  
Jump a little higher  
Come on, come on  
If you feel a little lighter  
Come on, come on  
We were once upon a time in love

We're accidentally in love  
Accidentally in love  
Accidentally in love  
Accidentally in love

When he finished he grinned up at Rachel. "I know you think this won't work and if you had asked me freshman year I would've thought the thing. But guess what Rach, we could do this! We could fit each other perfectly even if it doesn't look like we could. Let me in?"

Rachel couldn't resist his request. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't push away her feeling for him. She nodded and ran downstairs to the door. Opening it, she saw him standing there with a glint in his perfect eyes. "Hi."

"Hello." It was awkward for Rachel after what she had said that morning, but not for Puck. He stepped in and looked around. "Your room?" he said pointing upstairs.

"Um, sure." Leading him to her room, she turned on him. "Why are you here?"

"I told you I wasn't giving up."

"And I told you you should."

"But do I ever listen?"

Rachel sighed. She admitted this was true, but it wasn't helping her. This was already hard enough.

"Listen, you gave me a long speech this morning. Now it's my turn. When you broke up with me, I said I was going to dump you so I could lie to myself, thinking that I could easily find someone to replace you. Plus my mind was on my child. I abandoned Quinn because she turned into a bitch and I was really only in love with my child. It was easy because she didn't care either. And the Lauren thing, did you see her on Saturday? She wasn't even there. We're not into the same things and she plays with my head to much. I only started dating her to help me move on from someone I thought would never like me again. But she wasn't you Rachel. The second I knew you were moving on from Finn I decided to take the last chance I could possibly have at winning you back Rach. I mean look! We're not even together and we can't stay away from each other."

It was only then that Rachel realized that she had come closer to Puck while he spoke and had taken his hand and pulled him down on to her bed with her. She released his hand quickly and jumped back. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry. It only proves that there's something between us. We could work! I know you're afraid of falling on your face but I would never, ever let that happen. I couldn't. What Jesse and Finn did to you was disgusting. It wasn't natural. Unlike us. What's more natural then a couple of hot Jews?"

Rachel finally laughed. "I'm sorry about this morning. It's just after Finn and Jesse it's almost impossible to trust anyone."

"Well guess what. You can trust me."

And she believed him.

She stood on her tip-toes to kiss him. "Thank you for catching me."

"Anytime."


End file.
